Welcome to Medical News Today

Healthline Media, Inc. would like to process and share personal data (e.g., mobile ad id) and data about your use of our site (e.g., content interests) with our third party partners (see a current list) using cookies and similar automatic collection tools in order to a) personalize content and/or offers on our site or other sites, b) communicate with you upon request, and/or c) for additional reasons upon notice and, when applicable, with your consent.

Healthline Media, Inc. is based in and operates this site from the United States. Any data you provide will be primarily stored and processed in the United States, pursuant to the laws of the United States, which may provide lesser privacy protections than European Economic Area countries.

By clicking “accept” below, you acknowledge and grant your consent for these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Please accept our privacy terms

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content and offers, show targeted ads, analyze traffic, and better understand you. We may share your information with third-party partners for marketing purposes. To learn more and make choices about data use, visit our Advertising Policy and Privacy Policy. By clicking “Accept and Continue” below, (1) you consent to these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form, and (2) you consent to allow your data to be transferred, processed, and stored in the United States.

Register for a free account

Vitamin pill could prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with kidney disease

Published
Thursday 14 April 2016 Published Thu 14 Apr 2016

Adapted Media Release

The first patients have begun receiving treatment in a new clinical trial to find out if vitamin K can improve heart and blood vessel health in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The researchers at the University of Dundee and University of Glasgow, leading the trial, are being funded thanks to a £290,000 grant from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

People with kidney disease have a significantly greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Kidney disease causes a layer of calcium to settle in the wall of blood vessels, making them stiff, which increases blood pressure and puts strain on the heart.

CKD affects over a third (35 per cent) of people over the age of 65 and is one of the commonest comorbidities seen in hospitals, particularly in those admitted with acute cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and strokes 1.

Previous research has suggested that vitamin K plays an important part in regulating calcium build-up in the blood vessels 2. Vitamin K is found in all sorts of leafy greens, and has been associated with a number of health benefits over the years. In this study the Scotland-based researchers will give either 400mcg of vitamin K or a placebo to 166 people with CKD once a day for a year and measure the stiffness of blood vessels.

Dr Miles Witham, the lead researcher on the BHF-funded trial at the University of Dundee, said:

"If successful, this trial could open up a whole new avenue of ways to reduce heart attacks and strokes, not only in people with chronic kidney disease but also in others affected by calcium build-up in their blood vessels.

"This trial has only been possible thanks to funding provided by the British Heart Foundation and the generous support of their donors."

"Chronic kidney disease is common in people over 60, and as it progresses their risk of cardiovascular event increases several-fold. New treatments to slow the progression of the disease and its cardiovascular complications are therefore badly needed.

"This BHF-funded trial will test whether a simple treatment, vitamin K supplementation, can reduce the development of arterial stiffness - an early sign of cardiovascular risk. If successful, it will pave the way for a large scale trial to find out whether vitamin K supplementation reduces cardiovascular events in CKD patients and therefore should become part of routine treatment.

"We can only fund clinical trials like this with the support of the public. We receive no funding from Government so we rely on the continued and generous support of people making donations."

CKD is a long-term condition where the kidneys do not work effectively. It is linked to ageing and is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Current treatments to tackle the heightened risk of heart disease, with blood pressure medication for example, are less effective in people with kidney disease, and they do not tackle the problem of calcium in the blood vessel.

Vitamin K is a cheap, safe, and naturally occurring vitamin, found in the diet. As such, this trial could reveal a safe, cheap way of reducing heart attacks and strokes in people with kidney disease.

2018 Healthline Media UK Ltd. All rights reserved. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.